South Carolina women’s basketball needed a hero and the rookie responded Thursday.
South Carolina had to fend off an Alabama team that rallied late in the third quarter, but freshman Joyce Edwards’ scored 11 points in the final 10 minutes.
Her career-high 21 points carried the No. 2 Gamecocks (17-1, 5-0 SEC) to a 76-58 win over the No. 19 Crimson Tide (16-3, 3-3) at Coleman Coliseum.
“Joyce is special,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “She works really hard at it, she doesn’t take plays off … she’s a relentless worker, a tireless worker and she wants to be great at everything she does. To see her play as consistently and efficiently over the past couple of games is saying that she’s found her footing. I think she understands what we lost and what she needs to do to close that gap.”
Against Alabama, Edwards displayed incredible amounts of poise and maturity.
This roster for South Carolina has played a lot of close games in the last calendar year and the easiest way Edwards could have separated herself as a newcomer to the college level was to show she was rattled late in the game.
South Carolina’s six-point lead marked the smallest it has led by to start the fourth quarter since the season opener against Michigan on Nov. 4.
Alabama exposed some sleepy defense and sloppy offense by the Gamecocks so South Carolina needed not just effort but focus, and had to be wise with the basketball, which meant every little mistake meant just a little more.
Chloe Kitts, who had already logged a double double, sprinted down the court with the ball with 7:16 left and had a 2-on-1 opportunity with Tessa Johnson just ahead of her. Kitts chose to take the layup after the Alabama defender slid over and instead of feeding Johnson for the open layup, Kitts was called for a charge, giving the ball and momentum to Alabama.
Four seconds later, Zaay Green’s layup made it a five point game and with 6:45 left, Kitts subbed out and didn’t go back into the game, which meant it was up to Edwards and starter Sania Feagin to finish things out.
Two free throws swooshed in and Edwards halted Alabama’s rally. She hit a hook shot to make it a 10-point lead with 4:30, then both Feagin and Edwards’ each grabbed an offensive rebounds in the same possession which gave Alabama less time to flip the scoreboard.
Edwards scored five points in 40 seconds to finish off her 11-point quarter with an layup through contact.
Edwards had the team-high in points, but she didn’t do it entirely alone. MiLaysia Fulwiley finished with 16 points and Kitts had her fifth double double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
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“I didn’t feel any pressure to do that, it’s just something that we all do,” Edwards told SEC Network sideline reporter Nathan Brown. “My teammates really found me in the mismatch, and I just went to work.”
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Joyce Edwards pushes South Carolina women’s basketball over Alabama
